I finally finished school (well, one grade is still out, but I think I passed) and my taxes and a whole bunch of other projects that took me away from this. Look for new news coming soon! Apologies for all the missed content.

James Blake is ready to be the No. 1 singles player for the United States in next week’s Davis Cup quarterfinal against Spain after Andy Roddick strained his left hamstring.

“It’s an injury that could be tricky. We hope he’s OK,” Blake said Thursday in a conference call. “If we have him, we like our chances. If we don’t have him, we’re lucky enough to live in a country that has exceptional depth.

“I feel confident going on the court as the No. 1 and having Mardy Fish as the No. 2, or even Sam Querry or Robby Ginepri.”Seattle PI

Jim Courier is passionate about tennis and passionate about the Davis Cup.

Courier is also angry.

He read that Rafael Nadal will not play for Spain in next weekend’s Davis Cup quarterfinal against the United States at Joel Coliseum - and, oh boy.

“That’s a bunch of bull,” Courier said.

That’s also a common occurrence in Davis Cup play these days.

And that’s what upsets Courier and others with similar passion.

Nadal cited a nagging foot injury as the reason that he’ll be back in Spain instead of in Winston-Salem when singles play starts Friday. But Nadal continued playing at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., after making the announcement, reaching the quarterfinals.

Skeptics, including Courier, remain convinced that Nadal had other reasons for pulling out.

“The facts are that Nadal is not playing in Winston-Salem for schedule reasons,” Courier said. “What he’s saying is not legitimate. There’s no question in my mind that he just wants to go home and get ready for the clay, and that’s unfortunate, and terrible for the fans who have sold that arena out and are wanting to see him battle our team. But that’s the reality of the situation.”Winston Salem Journal